


Kix and the Crimson Corsair's Pirate Crew

by ummmmmm



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Characters might/will be a little bit OOC, Gen, I don't know what else to tag this with, Kix trying to adjust to the new world, Post-Order 66, Takes place in TFA, clone feels, mentions of torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-08
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7140062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ummmmmm/pseuds/ummmmmm
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is mainly going to be about Kix's experiences with The Crimson Corsair's Pirate Crew. There's going to be angst as the story goes on, and focus on Kix's culture shock. I don't know how to write a good summary so you get this instead!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. As said in the summary, this is about Kix's experiences after being awoken from stasis. I don't know where this story will go yet, but I do plan on finishing it. I am also looking for feedback on my writing, so please feel free to say what you think. I LOVE constructive criticism, but if someone is just flaming at me then I'll ignore it. This is my first time posting a fanfic on AO3, so apologies if the writing is not very neatly formatted. Thanks for clicking on this, I guess? Just read the fanfic you came here for... 
> 
> I don't own Star Wars, or any of the characters in it.

With a few shared words and a bit of strategy, the Crimson Corsair’s pirate gang was out and about with their new treasure. 

A few of the words shared were the concern for the Corsair’s safety. Concern, along with a bit of anger. Quiggold and the rest of the crew made him swear to never make them worry _ever_ again, but honestly, the Corsair most likely agreed to it just to make them stop bugging him. 

Despite the struggle of recovery, the crew held faith in the fact that they could raid old separatist bases to regain their previous glory and more. (They just hoped that they didn’t find another clone.) Quiggold was grateful of the determination that spread through the entire team. 

Well, almost the entire team.

Kix was silent when he was dubbed an official member of Ithano’s pirate gang. In fact, Quiggold and the team quickly discovered that the retired soldier was not much for conversation. 

When Quiggold asked the Corsair if they should treat Kix as a prisoner or a member of the gang (before he was announced to join), Ithano responded with: “Neither. Treat him like a guest.”

So, Kix got his own room. It was a fairly small and shabby place, but Kix really didn’t seem to mind, and he didn’t complain at all. (Thankfully for Quiggold - he gets _enough_ of his teammates’ gripes already.) Or maybe Kix did not like his room, he simply kept his mouth shut to be polite. 

Whatever the case, Quiggold was pleased with the result.

But honestly, Kix spent most of his free-time isolated from the gang. Unless Quiggold pulled him away to assist with something, or speak with him about something, the medic refused to socialize with the crew members.

Whenever he was out and about the ship, Kix only spoke when spoken to. There was a time or two when the crew managed to get a few laughs out of him, but otherwise, the man would not fit in. 

“He just needs to get used to the pirate life.” Quiggold chuckled when he heard Reveth gossiping with Squeaky. 

Despite his own words, Quiggold _was_ trying to get Kix to get used to his new team. If they were going to spend the rest of their lives together, then he might as well _try_ to make friends. 

The gabdorin would even set up scenarios where Kix would be in a room with some other teammates and would have to socialize. So far, he’s made no improvement. 

_But,_ Quiggold was able to note the people he was more comfortable with. 

Kix seemed to not have a care in the word for Reveth, their resident Twi’lek. Reveth did try to strike a conversation with him more than a few times, but Kix continued to only speak when spoken to when it came to her. 

Reeg had the same situation. He’d attempt to speak with Kix less than Reveth did, but Kix treated him the same nonetheless. Oh, don’t think the wrong thing, Kix was always very polite to the team. He simply needed to work on his social skills. 

Kix was no different with the Corsair, the only exception being was that Kix was a bit more polite to the captain of the ship. Actually, Quiggold was fairly sure he was even a little bit scared of the Corsair. But, honestly, he didn’t blame him. Who _wasn’t_ scared of the Corsair?

And then it came to Squeaky. Kix was actually more comfortable with Squeaky than he was with the rest of the team. Be warned, “more comfortable” does not mean “comfortable”. Kix refused to acknowledge Squeaky as a friend (as far as Quiggold could tell) but he was more relaxed in the Gamorrean’s presence. (Which, in all honestly, surprised Quiggold. He was more relaxed around a _Gamorrean,_ out of all creatures. Squeaky was the nicest guy on the ship, but his appearance was slightly intimidating.)

With Quiggold himself, he noticed that Kix was more _uncomfortable_ with him compared to the rest of the team. (Well, excluding the Corsair.) The gabdorin found this quite annoying, but he thought he figured out why. Whenever Kix was finished speaking with Quiggold, he’d salute, being respectful to the first mate. He’d always have to look down at Quiggold in order to do so. Plus, Kix would sometimes not even notice Quiggold in the hallways and once the clone even tripped over him. In Quiggold’s head, he assumed that Kix was slightly uncomfortable around him because of his shortness.

Speaking of Kix’s saluting, the clone was still (unsurprisingly) in the habit of calling the captain and his first mate “sir”. It was unnecessary, and they could most likely train him out of it, but it was nice to have someone respect Quiggold for once… not that his team didn’t respect him or the Corsair, but Kix just made him feel more like a first mate.

Saluting and constantly saying “sir” got Quiggold thinking about the situation with Kix’s culture shock. The crew had to explain various details of the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire. They explained how two sith lords, a master and an apprentice, used fear to control the citizens of many planets. 

Kix took this information quite well, to Quiggold’s surprise. The medic simply nodded bitterly and sulked away after he received the information. The clone informed them that he already knew about the chips inside of the clones’ heads, that’s why he was captured by Dooku in the first place. Even though, the crew gave Kix time to himself after telling him the news. 

And then there were the nightmares.

They were rare, but they were horrible; for the entire team. Mostly, you could tell when Kix had nightmares from when he was moving around a lot in his bed, and muttering in his sleep. Unfortunately, none of the words he muttered were audible. Once Kix woke up screaming, causing the entire crew to rush to his room in worry for the medic’s safety. 

And yet Kix refused to tell them what his nightmares were about. He’d brush it off as just bad memories as a soldier, but Quiggold and the crew really thought it was something deeper. Once, Quiggold, Reveth, and Squeaky even discussed what they knew about Kix and what might be causing the nightmares. They came to a conclusion that it might be about when Kix was captured during the Clone Wars and tortured for information about the Order 66 chips. 

But honestly, the crew really didn’t know anything about their new team member. Gathering up the information, they just knew that Kix was a medic, he served in the 501st Legion, he found out about the chips and was captured and tortured by the Separatists. (Also, they didn’t even know what the tattoo on Kix’s head said. All they knew that it was written in Aurebesh only used during the Clone Wars, and none of the crewmembers has asked Kix about it.)

Slowly, bit by bit, more and more problems had began to arise, revolving around the factor of Kix. 

The man _really_ needed decent cloths.

So far, Kix had been living in his tight black body-glove with the white republic symbol on his chest. The clone didn’t complain, and neither did the crew. Until they sort of realized that Kix would have to get proper clothing if he wanted to ever go out in public. 

So, the men (and one woman, Reveth) scheduled a stop at a nearby moon to pick up cloths. Kix stayed onboard (precisely because he was wearing a republic suit…) to avoid unwanted attention. Quiggold and Reeg went out to snag some basic, liveable clothing for Kix.

Then they realized that there were different sizes of clothing.

So, they called Kix and the team on their comm set.

“Yep?” Reveth asked from the landed ship when Reeg contacted her. 

“Hey Rev. Hey, do you mind putting Kix on the line?” Reeg responded smoothly.

“No prob. Kix! You’re needed!”

After a few seconds of delay, Kix’s voice came through the comm. “What is it?” His gruff voice asked politely. 

“Ah, hey Kix… we needed to know what size clothing you wear.” Reeg asked casually. 

“... size?” Was the response. 

“Um, yes, size. There are different sized clothing for different sized people.” 

“Oh. Uh…”

“Do you have a tag on your cloths that says what size it is?”

“A tag? On my body glove? Why would the Kaminoans do that?”

By now the situation was more than frustrating. “To find out what size the clothes you’re wearing are.”

“Oh. Ahhh…” Kix began to chuckle. “Well, in the GAR, one size fits all, so these ‘tags’ weren’t really needed.”

Reeg let out a loud and audible groan and Quiggold followed through.

They heard Reveth’s hearty chuckle over the comm. “Well, looks like we’ll have to make-do. Kix is shorter than me, if that helps.” Her powerful voice suggested.

“Yeah, and he’s taller than me.” Quiggold grumbled sarcastically.

Reeg rolled his eyes and responded to Reveth. “Alright, Reveth, since you’re about the most humanoid out of all of us, what size are you? We’ll get a size lower than yours and see if that works.”

“Got it.”

After Reeg and Quiggold found a decent shirt and pants, along with a cool-looking jacket, they realized that they were forgetting something important.

“... Rev?” Reeg asked the comm once he and Quiggold discussed it.

“Yeeeees?” Reveth obviously heard the unease in Reeg’s voice.

“Can I speak to Kix again?”

“No prob. He’s right here.”

“Alright, Kix, make sure you’re alone.”

“... why?” The medic’s response.

“Because.”

“Because what?”

“Because it’s a guys-only question.” Reeg scuffed.

The two could hear Reveth’s laugh from the other side of the comm. They waited impatiently as she left Kix alone.

“She’s gone, what do you want?” The clone asked grumpily.

“It’s a clothing question.”

“Just ask it already.”

“... what kind of underwear do you need?”

After a moment’s delay, Kix’s loud laughter came through the comm set. This was another moment that Quiggold marked, a time when Kix actually laughed. The list was unhappily short.

After taking the necessary clothing back to Kix, fortunately, they did not need to go shopping again (for clothes, anyway). The attire they retrieved for Kix worked perfectly, until the man grew out of them. Which would be unfortunately soon, so Kix informed them about his double-aging. At the moment, he was mentally thirteen years old. But, physically, he was twenty-six years old. (Even though, _technically_ , Kix had existed in the universe for around sixty years. But, since he got the luxury of being placed in stasis for fifty years, Kix’s body was as young as twenty-six.)

For Kix’s sanitary needs, it was mostly already on the ship. They had a ‘fresher and they could easily find a toothbrush. Kix was mostly set to live with Ithano’s crew.

Not really set to be _social_ with the crew.

And, that was alright. It would most likely take Kix a while to warm up to them fully, force knows what happened to him as a soldier. It’d take a while for him to let go of some of his past. 

But, Quiggold (and the rest of the team, for that matter) were _still_ determined to make friends.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Angsty chapter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have about a billion excuses of why this is so late, but no one wants to hear those, right?
> 
> I also realized that Reeg Brosna, the Arcona on Ithano's crew, ACUTALLY DIED in "The Crimson Corsair and The Lost Treasure of Count Dooku." Oops. I'm trying to make this as canon complaint as possible, but for the sake of this story, let's just say he didn't die...
> 
> It took me so long to find the name of the crew's ship..

_Fives and Tup were infected by a virus, that’s why they acted the way they did._

_Yeah right._

_Not a long time after General Skywalker mumbled this information to the rest of the Torrent Company, Kix was off towards a computer he could use._

_The medic didn’t believe one bit of the information being handed to him._

_So, he conducted research. He investigated the chips in their heads. (The mere thought gave him the shivers…) Pretty soon afterwards, he was investigating something that went by the name of “Order 66.”_

_As his eyes scanned the words on his datapad, Kix slowly felt queasier and queasier._

_Oh, Force, queasy was an understatement. As the information seeped into Kix’s brain, he felt more and more sick and horrified._

_The jedi were in grave danger. The clones, every last one of them, all had chips in their head. The chips made them follow one person’s command…_

\- 

_For the next few days, Kix wallowed in agony, having no idea how to save the jedi order. Every. Last. Clone. Had these chips. These chips **needed** to be removed. From every. Single. Clone. In the Gar. _

_The medic spent those days in absolute misery, having no grasp on the situation. How was he suppose to save the republic, without dying or being caught in the process? He knew that Fives took out his chip using surgery, but that would take forever to preform surgery on every single clone in the GAR, and the Kaminoans would find out about it._

_He was so confused, and so so scared… the order could be given at any moment, and Kix hadn’t figured out how to get his own chip out._

_Kix was blindly aware of his brother, Jesse’s, presence beside him. The man had sat himself down on Kix’s bed, while Kix stared blankly at his hands._

_Again, Kix blindly felt Jesse’s arms wrapping around him and pulling the medic closer. He did not complain, and instead welcomed the embracement and scooted closer to Jesse._

_“Kix, vod, what’s wrong?” Jesse whispered into Kix’s short-cut hair._

_Kix buried his face into Jesse’s chest and muttered something inaudible, even to him. He felt his face slowly and gently being cupped by one of Jesse’s hands, and was titled so Kix looked up at Jesse._

_“You have to tell me. I’m worried about you.” His brother whispered._

_Kix responded by leaning his forehead against Jesse’s shoulder. He opened his mouth, ready to bluntly out-right tell Jesse about his research, but double-thought it. If he was caught, Jesse could be in terrible danger. No, no, he **had** to protect his closest brother. He had to. _

_“Stupid war.” Kix whined instead. Jesse grew silent afterwards, just cradling Kix in his arms. He probably thought Kix was beating himself up about losing a patient or something similar, because Kix did way to often for it to be healthy.._

_Nevertheless, Kix cherished every second he had with his brother, even though they might be his last._

_-_

_Kix stared at the young trooper he was talking with. He stared into Echo’s eyes, and watched as they widened as the medic mentioned Echo’s close brother._

_Echo’s hand shot out and grabbed Kix’s fist tightly. “Wait… Kix, what are you saying? Do… do you know something else…? About… him?”_

_Looking into the poor ARC Trooper’s eyes, Kix saw the little bit of hope. He was Echo’s horrid, horrid grief after the news… and a small amount of suspicion._

_He felt Echo’s rough grip tighten on Kix’s hand. “Kix… tell me.”_

_Kix squeezed his eyes shut. It took so much of his willpower to not spill out all of his emotions, telling Echo what he’s found out though a river of tears. Instead, the medic took a small, reasonable breath._

_“Fives was supposively uncovering a conspiracy…” Kix realized his voice was quivering, and he hated it. “You know that, right?”_

_“Yes.” Echo squeezed Kix’s hands even tighter. “Tell me. Please.”_

_Kix pulled in another sharp breath. He could finally tell someone the horrors he’s discovered, he could finally find some support with this madness. He desperately needed it._

_“Well… I-I did-” Kix began. He was rudely and unfortunately cut off by Echo’s comm beeping._

_A look of pure annoyance and anger was on Echo’s face when he answered it._

_“What?!” The ARC Trooper demanded._

_“Echo.” It was Rex. “You have to come here right now.”_

_“Why? I’m in the-”_

_“Now, Echo.” A final beep silenced the comm._

_Kix stared at his hands as Echo stood from his seat. “Kix. Finish telling me later, alright?”_

_The medic nodded bitterly as Echo left the room. After he was alone, Kix let out a long and unsteady sigh before slumping his chin into his crossed arms. He had to wait... so he did. He waited and waited for Echo to return._

_When, out of the blue, something sharp bit his neck. Kix reflectively slapped whatever bug decided to infiltrate the barracks, only to find that his vision was slowly getting black... only to find that all of his strength abandoned him to the darkness of unconsciousness._

_-_

_By this point, it was OK to cry, right? Yeah, yeah, he was showing a sign of weakness, but he was already screaming his lungs out. So, surely, it was alright to cry._

_And besides, he couldn’t control it._

_He didn't **want** to control it. _

_So, he tried to inhale a large breath in between his sobs and screams. He wasn't very successful. His stupid eyes were blurring from the tears that he's been unable to shed, and his body is screaming at him to get away from the pain._

_Stupid interrogation droids know what exact part of his arm to poke with the syringe to make it hurt more. What words would work the best in each situation. Well, obviously, they were programmed to do that. But, in Kix's humble opinion, they were programmed too well._

_But the Seppies must've thought it was perfect._

_The medic's stupid throat was so dry, and so so swollen... he could really use a glass of water right about now. And maybe some medical treatment, to go along with that. Sedatives too. Oh, and, while he was dreaming, Kix would also like the entire stupid war to end._

_By this point, Kix couldn't even keep track of what the droid was doing to him. All he could see, think, and feel was pain, and anything else he tried to focus on was washed away by it._

_But he hadn't given the droid anything._

_And suddenly, without warning, something hit Kix on the head. Hard. Was the stupid droid reducing to **hitting** him? If so, that thing hit **hard.**_

-

Before he got another image of his torture, Kix was suddenly staring at blackness. No, not blackness, he could make out patterns above him... patterns he could identify. 

The ceiling of his room.

His new room, in the _Meson Martinet._ His new home.

Kix snuffed up a groan before rolling from his back to onto his side, giving him a view of his new bed. He fell of the stupid thing while dreaming.

But, Kix knew better than to complain about the bed. Compared to the sleeping material the clones were given off and on duty, this new bed could've dropped from the heavens. It had _soft_ covers and an actual _blanket._ Kix had distantly heard Quiggold say that he was sorry because the bed was not very good, and Kix responded with giving him the most shocked look he could muster. This bed was amazingly comfortable. 

At the current moment, Kix was lying on the firm and crisp clean floor. The back of his head was did not forgive Kix for falling off the bed, and ached in pain. 

And for a moment, Kix didn't _want_ to crawl back to his bed and sleep. He didn't want nightmares. He had so so many nowadays, more than he did in the Clone Wars. It didn't surprise him. Even his _Umbara_ nightmares still came. That was the one that made him scream in the middle of the night and caused the entire crew to come rushing to his aid. 

He wanted to look around and see his brothers. He _wanted_ to see Jesse's face with his signature cocky grin. He wanted to be woken up by Hardcase's pillow.

Kix never thought he'd say that. _Ever._ But now... he needed it. He needed to see his brothers again. It was driving him crazy to be without them. 

Miserably crawling back into bed, he decided to stare at the ceiling instead of sleep. Somehow, the warm, comfy bed felt so cold and lonely... he couldn't turn his head to look at Jesse or Hardcase's sleeping form. Stars, why couldn't he have just died with the rest of his brothers. 

Slumping unceremoniously back onto his comfy mattress for sleeping, Kix only then did realize that he was crying.

-

"You woke up in the middle of the night again."

The medic flashed his eyes upward once to take a look at the speaker, but didn't move his head up. He found it very comfortable, (everything in this ship was comfortable, at least compared to his normal furniture) sitting on the couch, Kix decided.

"You can't keep brushing your nightmares off like this." Quiggold moved to sit on the couch across from Kix's. "You need to tell _someone."_

Kix wasn't brushing off his nightmares. He was just... not telling his new teammates exactly what they were about. And... he didn't want to. 

"Whether you like it or not, we're your new family." The Gabdorin continued, making himself comfortable on the couch. "We're concerned. We really are."

The medic found Quiggold's words agitating. He didn't _want_ a new family. He wanted his old family. He wanted his brothers. He wanted Jesse, Hardcase, Rex, Fives, Tup... he would burst into tears if he even saw Dogma. 

"We all know you wake up in tears or screaming. We don't want a new member of our crew to feel this way." Quiggold raised an eyebrow. "So, whatever nightmares you're having-"

"They're not nightmares." 

Quiggold immediately goes silent, willing to listen to the clone's words.

"They're dreams." Kix continues. "They... they're good dreams. They're my brothers."

Good lord. Poor man, Quiggold mused. He'd offer a hug, but that wouldn't end well at all. Instead, he reached out to place a hand on Kix's shoulder. He saw the trooper visibly wince, and it was clear that it took all of his willpower not to cry. 

"I'm sorry." Quiggold whispers. Watching Kix walk out of the room, he literally had no idea what he could do to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I'm very good at writing angst. I'm going to write angst anyway...
> 
> For the next 2-3 chapters, it's going to mostly be angst and Kix-getting-to-know-the-rest-of-the-crew. Then I'll make something interesting happen...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talking... and playing cards! Is that exciting? No? Okay...

Hyperdrives were suppose to make traveling easier and faster. They did, Quiggold wouldn’t give it up for any other form of travel. Well… teleporting would be nice. 

Unfortunately, teleporting wasn’t exactly figured out yet. Drat. Looks like they were using hyperdrives… 

The first separatist supply deposit that they decided to travel to was halfway across the galaxy. Therefore, the lightspace journey would take about nine standard days. _Ugh._ Quiggold _has_ been on longer journeys, _but_ it was still a long long time. Luckily, there were some things the crew could do to keep themselves occupied. 

Playing cards was a good way to go. 

The crew _actually_ didn’t know many different card games with their single deck, but Reeg actually could think of a few entertaining ones when they were bored. One of which was the game “War.” 

And so, that led to Quiggold scowling as Reveth won all of the cards after their double-war. The twi’lek was grinning like an evil mastermind while the rest of the crew groaned, for she had captured the largest amount of cards. 

Looking at Quiggold’s small pile of captured cards and comparing it to Reveth’s mound, he knew that he shouldn’t count on winning. 

“Reveth, how are you so freakin’ lucky with this game after _one day_ of playing it?” Reeg grumbled as the next turn commenced.

The Corsair’s King of Hearts won against the rest of them, and he gathered his cards into his decently-large pile. Reveth, Reeg, Quiggold, and the Corsair were playing cards. Squeaky was manning the ship and Kix was off doing his own thing. 

“Stop pouting.” Reveth would _not_ stop smiling. “This round is almost over and if you have any good cards, you might have a chance.”

“ _If_ I had any good cards.” Reeg mumbled grouchily. 

That’s when Quiggold engaged in another card-war with the Corsair. Quiggold groaned. “I have the worst luck with wars.” He scowled.

And just like he predicted, the Corsair won. When Quiggold scowled again, the Corsair mumbled something in his native tongue. Which Quiggold responded, “Says the person who actually has a chance at beating Reveth.”

At that, Reveth’s smirk grew wider. “What can I say? I am the _queen_ at this game.” 

*Incert pun from Reeg here cuz I am way too off-schedule to spend weeks thinking of one*

Quiggold threw the card-box at Reeg, and the rest of the crew threw whatever was in arm's reach (besides their cards). The Arcona had been making puns for _the entire game_ and it was getting on _everyone’s_ nerves. 

“Crazy Arcona runnin’ around, thinking he’s so smart…” Reveth grumbled half-heartedly. Quiggold saw the twinkle of a tease in her eyes.

“Yeah, well, _you’re_ the one-” Reeg started with a grin on his face, before Quiggold interrupted. 

“Reeg, put down your card.” The Gabdorin growled. 

Reeg stuck his tongue out at Reveth before laying down his card. The team complained lowly when Reveth won _again._

The Corsair began to gather up everyone’s cards for another round, when a different voice reached Quiggold’s ears.

“Can I play?” 

Everyone’s head turned to see their only human crew member standing at the door of the room they were playing in. Kix had a shy but curious look on his face as he swept his gaze over the team. The clone had decided to come out of hiding and try to be social. Quiggold wasn’t going to waste the opportunity. 

“Of course, Kix!” Quiggold said eagerly, and the rest of the crew quickly agreed. They pulled over a chair so Kix sat in between Quiggold and Reeg. 

“Do you know how to play cards?” Reveth asked Kix gently.

Kix hesitated before speaking. “No… I was watching you guys play for a bit, but… that’s just about it.” He admitted.

The crew shared glances. None of them had noticed Kix watching them. Except for the Corsair… the man was unsurprised upon hearing that Kix had been observing them play. 

“That’s alright.” Reeg spoke. “Not a lot of people know how to play cards. Here, we’ll teach you.” 

Kix nodded as the Corsair started dealing out the deck. Quiggold spoke up before he finished. “Wait… maybe we should play a simpler game than War? Just to get Kix used to the cards.”

Reveth nodded. “That sounds like a good idea. How about Uno?” 

“We don’t have any Uno cards.” Reeg pointed out. 

“Crazy Eights.” Reveth corrected with a scowl. 

The Corsair redelt the cards, eight for each player. The rest of the cards went face-down on the table. 

Kix looked at his cards in confusion. “What do all of these symbols mean?” He mumbled to Quiggold.

Quiggold debated the best way of teaching the trooper before taking action. “Here, show me your cards. Don’t show anyone else. I swear I won’t cheat, I’m just trying to help you with the game.”

Scooting over an inch, Kix revealed his cards to the Gabdorin. He saw the undignified way Kix was holding them. “Hold them like this, it’ll make it easier to see all of them at once.” He said, referring to his own hands. Even though his hands were way bulkier and rusty that Kix’s, the clone could copy him enough.

After waiting for Kix to arrange his posture to hold the cards, Quiggold continued. “Alright, so, there are four different suits, Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs. See? You have all of them except for Diamonds. That’s a Heart, that’s a Spade, and that’s a Club. All of the cards have a number. The possible numbers range from two to ten.”

While Quiggold explained, Kix nodded and occasionally said, “Uh huh.” Now he interrupted. “Wait, why isn’t there a ‘one?’” 

“Because the one is replaced with something called an ‘ace’. Neither of us have one, but it’s basically a card with a big ‘A’ in the center.” Quiggold explained patiently. “There are four other cards for each suit. Queens, Kings, Jacks, and Jokers.” He continued. “All of those are called ‘face cards’ because they all have a drawing on them. But you can tell them apart because the Queens have the letter ‘Q’ on them, the King has a ‘K’, the Jack has a ‘J’, and the Joker has the word ‘Joker’ written on it. See? You have a queen right there.” Quiggold finished. 

The rest of the crew waited patiently as Quiggold explained cards to the new member. Now, he explained the actual game of Crazy Eights. 

“Alright, so, one card has been flipped over from the deck in the center, see? That’s a five of clubs. I’ll go first, meaning I’ll have to put down a card that’s either a five of any suit or a club with any number. See?”

Quiggold took one card from his hand and placed it on top of the other one. It was a five of hearts. “See? You’ll catch on a bit as the game progresses. 

The game went by fairly smoothly, and after Quiggold explained the rest of the rules, Kix got the hang of Crazy Eights quite quickly. Soon enough, Quiggold had drawn four more cards due to his trainee.

“ _This_ is how you treat the person who taught you to play? Hm?” Quiggold growled teasingly at the clone.

A small smirk found it’s way to Kix’s lips. “Well, I only learn from the best.”

“Clearly not from me.” Quiggold grumbled sarcastically, causing Reveth and Reeg to laugh. 

After the game progressed a bit, Reeg spoke up to Kix. “So, Kix, since you don’t know how to play cards, what did you do in your spare time?” 

Kix appeared generally surprised by the question. He seemed hesitant about responding, but he did.

“Well… whenever we had time for R and R, me and my brothers would go out for drinks at 79’s…” He offered. 

“Wait, brothers?” Reveth inquired, her decorated lekku swaying slightly when she tilted her head. “Wait, I thought you were a clone…?”

Kix let out an uneasy chuckle. “Ah, sorry… I refer to other clones as my ‘brothers’. I guess I haven’t mentioned that before.” He apologized. 

“Oh, sorry! I meant no offense!” Reveth corrected quickly with a sheepish grin. She opened her mouth to speak, but hesitated. Quickly correcting herself, the Twi’lek continued. “If you don’t mind me asking… why were you allowed to drink? I’m sorry if it’s an insensitive question… I just am curious to why your superiors would let you get drunk as soldiers.”

Kix managed a small grin and sat up straight. “It’s alright, I don’t mind. The person we were cloned from was a bounty hunter. The generals let us go out drinking because they didn’t want us doing what he used to do in our free time.” He admitted. 

Reeg let out a chuckle. “Well, look where you are now.” He said, but before any awkward situations came up, he continued. “Hey, Kix, can you tell us a bit about your brothers?” 

To Quiggold, Kix seemed taken aback by the question. He paused before speaking. “Well… ah, I don’t know… do you really want to know…?”

“What were they like? Just… anything about them.” Reeg supported, looking at Kix’s uneasy face.

“Hey, if he doesn’t want to answer, he doesn’t have too.” Reveth butted in, quick to Kix’s defense. 

“Yeah.” Quiggold agreed, placing a gentle hand on Kix’s shoulder. “You don’t have to share anything you aren’t comfortable with.”

Kix shifted under Quiggold’s hand. “W-Well, I- I mean, I’m normally not allowed to share this stuff with outsiders for… uh… reasons because we were in the war.” He put out sheepishy. “And also… I didn’t really expect you guys to want to know about my previous life.” The clone medic admitted. 

“That’s OK!” Reveth offered, a warm look in her eyes. “You’re not a soldier anymore, Kix. All of the rules you had before are gone!… Well, maybe except for the one where you’re not allowed to shoot your allies.” She added, trying to crack a joke.

Quiggold continued her encouragement. “And besides, if you’re going to be a part of this crew, then we’ll have to get to know you! We’re all friends here, Kix, but if you don’t want to tell us, you don’t have to.”

The Gabdorin silently hoped that their short encouraging speech had, in some way, affected Kix. He hoped, honest to goodness, that they could slowly break down the awkward barrier that was in between them and the clone. 

The crew had their stories, every one of them. The Corsair had a “backstory.” Quiggold had a “backstory.” Reveth, Reeg, and Squeaky, they back “backstories” too. Their own history, whether it be good or bad.

The rest of the crew helped their members with any bad memories or nightmares. It was what they did. It was what _family_ did. 

_Kix_ was the new member of their family. Yet he was distant. He was suspicious. He was scared, to say the least. He was thrown in a world he had no idea how to handle or control, so the crew had to help.

Quiggold hoped and prayed that they would. 

But he could not tell if Kix felt any better now. The troubled look remained on his face and he hesitated to answer. 

“Well… my two closest brothers are Hardcase and Jesse.” Kix bit his lip. “Hardcase was always so energetic… ready for everything, always cracking jokes… and obsessed with heavy artillery.” A genuine smile spread across Kix’s face, like it was a happy memory. Of course it was. It was Kix’s brother. “Jesse was more mellow… but they were both _huge_ dorks.” He scuffed. “Hardcase was always getting himself hurt doing stupid things… Jesse didn’t exactly discourage it.” Kix hesitated to look at the rest of the crew. “Am I saying too much…?”

“No, no, Kix, it’s alright. Tell us more about Jesse.” Reveth said quickly. 

Quiggold nodded in agreement after casting a quick glance at the Corsair. The captain seemed to be fine with the conversation. 

Kix took a deep breath. “O-Okay… Uh, Jesse… He was like Hardcase, yes, but he was more calm… Uh… I already said that… Well, they were both quirky and dumb at times, but my brothers were so kind and genuine… I love them both so much…” His last sentence was more of a mumble, and barely audible.

“It’s alright. Y’know, you don’t have to say anything else.” Quiggold said in a hushed and soothing voice. Well, as soothing as a Gabdorin’s voice can be. “Can you tell us about any other brothers?”

The medic hesitated again. His face became slightly more red, and his voice began to shake. “Ah… yes. Fives… Fives was an ARC Trooper that we met on a mission. He’s a lot like Hardcase, determined and daring. U-Unfortunately, they didn’t get to hang out for long. H-Hardcase… died on that mission…” Kix took a moment to rub the back of his neck. 

“Oh my, that’s horrible…” Reveth mumbled understandingly. 

Reeg gave him a sympathetic look. “Sorry, bud. What’s an ARC Trooper?”

Kix looked surprised for a moment. “Oh-! Well, A-R-C stands for ‘Advanced Recon Commando.’ ARC Troopers are clones who are giving special training to deal with harder situations.” He paused thoughtfully before continuing. “Jesse… Jesse got a lot of requests to go through the training, and he didn’t want to because he’d have to leave for quite some time…” He seemed to be getting more and more uncomfortable by the minute. 

Reveth smiled at him. “That’s pretty nice, Kix. Why weren’t you offered to be an ARC Trooper?”

“Because I’m a medic, and they don’t give medics ARC Trooper training.” He answered with a small grin. Then he looked down. “Ah… there’s so much to say…” 

Quiggold spoke up. “That’s alright, you don’t have to tell us all now. Would you like to go rest?”

Kix put down his cards from the game that they had paused a while ago. “I think I’ll do that.” He said in a hushed tone. He skittishly pushed his seat out to stand up.

Quiggold was mildly surprised when Kix actually took the offer to leave. So, he spoke up. “Hey, Kix, you OK? Sorry if we brought up any foul memories.” Quiggold apologized quickly before the clone exited the room. 

Kix glanced back at the Gabdorin. “Yeah… It’s alright. I… I think it was nice to talk about my brothers, but… I need a break.” 

With those words, the medic was gone. Maybe he had gotten too emotional. Quiggold had no idea how to tell if a human was emotional… he’s never really spent a lot of time around one, so it was sort of a mystery to him.

The Corsair was a humanoid, and, yes, Quiggold could tell exactly what the Corsair wanted. But he could never tell how Ithano felt emotionally, mostly due to his mask. 

Blinking back into reality, Quiggold and the crew continued the game. Reeg and the Corsair were eager to continue, while Reveth and Quiggold both shared some looks of concern for their new crew member. 

Neither of them really knew how he was feeling. Maybe it was best to leave Kix alone. Maybe… Maybe Kix did not want their support. Whatever the case, they’d have to talk about it afterward. 

Minutes later, when Quiggold was about to _win,_ Squeaky entered the cabin and announced that they had finally arrived at the supply drop. 

Oh fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what card games they have in space. So... Earth card games! Also, I know there is about a million different ways to play "War." In this story, they play it how I learned how to play War. 
> 
> Okay, also... to the possible 3 people that are following this story... I plan to update this once a month. Expect it to be /around/ the first of each month, because now I have a more compatible system for writing and living a normal life. There's going to be about one or two more chapters about Kix interacting with the crew, then something exciting is going to happen... I hope...


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well that was anti-climactic.

The supply drop that took nine standard days to get to was _empty_

Great. 

After quickly investigating it on the deserted planet, the crew moved on to the next one. 

(They chose one nearby so they didn’t have to travel so far again.)

That certain one was less than forty-five standard minutes away.

It was also empty.

 _Great._

The crew quickly chose their next destination. The nearest one was about three standard days away. 

Nothing extremely eventful happened during the three days, Kix mused. Everyone was mostly just off doing their own thing the entire time, which hopefully didn’t lead to any awkward situations when they arrived. 

Even though, the three days flew by pretty quickly, and the crew was eager to explore the new supply drop. All they could do was pray that there was something there.

Lucky for them, some _one_ was already there. 

-

“Alright, fellas… fingers crossed…” Reveth smiled at the team, but then her gaze fell upon Squeaky. “Or claws. Sorry, bud.”

Squeaky huffed and muttered good-naturedly before returning his attention to the first mate and the captain. 

The crew waited for a moment as the Corsair signed silently to Quiggold, none of them able to know exactly what he was saying… spending time around the Corsair, they learned quite a few hand gestures, but they hadn’t been at their captain’s side for as long as Quiggold has been.

Kix, on the other had, had _no idea_ what his new captain was saying. He was trained in combat-situation hand gestures, but never casual speech gestures. 

So, he was doomed to watch as patiently as possible as Quiggold and the Corsair had their noiseless conversation. He didn’t have to wait long, thankfully.

“Alright, you guys know the drill.” Quiggold turned to address the team. “Even though the other two were empty, we can’t let our guard down. Don’t draw any unwanted attention; and always act like there _is_ someone hiding in there. Understand?” 

Kix and the rest of the crew muttered their variations of “Yes.” as they moved out. 

The clone slowly lifted his newly-equipped blaster and scanned it quickly with his eyes. The pirates had been nice enough to give him a weapon of his pick, and Kix had tried to take one that was more similar to his old blaster. So far, he hasn’t had any issue with it, so he stuck with it. 

The crew spread out a bit, so they could cover more area and get around without been seen as easily. 

The planet they were on appeared to have little plant life but a few oceans, but the place the separatists made the supply deposit was barren, old, and unused desert. The only distinguishing thing Kix could focus on was the giant dome-house thing that the crew was steadily approaching. 

The clone noticed Squeaky walk aside and check out some disabled B1s and old crates that the chankers must’ve been carrying, and seeing that the Gamorrean didn’t alert the team of anything, everyone assumed that there was nothing notable there. 

Kix paused to take a look at a disabled and utterly broken-down B1 droid, who was sprawled on the floor. He crouched down so he was perched on his toes and glaring at the scrap metal.

 _That_ thing was what killed his brothers. That thing was what Kix and the rest of the clones fought in battle. That machine wielded blasters aimed at Kix and his brothers’ hearts. That merciless murderer was what a medic was needed for.

When Kix looked at it, he saw the thing he’s hated for his entire life. He saw the thing he constantly went to battle against and the thing that killed the men around him.

With a huff and a shake of his head, Kix sook away the thoughts. He should _not_ be thinking about this right now. The war was over, and it ended a long time ago.

Even though, that doesn’t mean the things in Kix’s life didn’t happen.

Kix sprung to his feet and picked up his pace to catch up with the pirates. If they weren’t trying to stay unnoticed, Kix would have shot the disarmed and destroyed droids just for good measure. Just in case. To satisfy his small urge to finish the menace that had hurt his brothers. 

When the crew got to the entrance of the oddly built and slowly-decomposing location, the Corsair flashed some military signs to the crew that Kix _did_ understand. _“Wait. Listen. Don’t move until I give the all-clear.”_

So Kix listened. As a soldier, he knew what to listen for and was actually fairly good at it. If he heard footsteps, breathing, talking, then there was obviously someone or something in there. 

But at the same time… Kix did not know if he could really trust his ears, knowing that he had just been pulled out of a cryo-tube no more than six standard months ago. 

Though, he could trust his new teammates. The other members of the Corsair’s crew apparently sensed no danger, so the Corsair gave the signal to move in. 

Each of the crew slipped in, one by one, and when Kix entered, he immediately saw no movement or threat in the elderly building. The only life forms that he could see were his teammates.

Otherwise, the area was _not_ in fact empty. In the center and the far left of the room, there was an unusual amount of transporting crates.

Before Kix had a chance to make a few notes about them, Quiggold spoke up. 

“Wait a minute,” The Gabdorin hissed quietly. “These boxes… they look quite _new._ ”

Quiggold was quite right. Compared to the rusty, falling-down building around them, the transporting boxes were quite clean and durable. 

Keeping his weapon trained on the boxes, Kix approached them slowly and opened one of them. Inside, there was an abundance of ration bars. 

The clone hesitantly removed one of them and examined it. “This wasn’t made in the Clone Wars era.” He muttered to the rest of the team. “This… I think this ration bar was made no less than a few months ago.”

Reveth’s eyes widened. “That means someone _put_ these boxes here not long ago!” 

The Corsair instantly began flashing hand-signs to Quiggold, who quickly translated them for the team. “Reveth and Reeg, watch the entrances to this place. Squeaky, do a quick look around for any areas we don’t know about. Kix-” 

Quiggold cut himself off when the door of the supply drop swung open. All of their weapons were immediately trained on the visitor. 

It was someone in white amor. 

_A Clone trooper!_

The man looked almost exactly like a clone trooper. Except… Kix slowly started noticing differences. The design of the armor was much different, and to Kix, it actually looked less comfortable and useful. How did they even walk in that? How did they expect to see through those visors?

But Kix’s thoughts were quickly cut short when Reveth shouted, _“Stormtrooper!”_

 _Wait, stormtrooper?_ The crew had in fact informed Kix about the new white-armored boys running around. They apparently worked for the First Order; which was run by Sith Lords. Apparently.

Though… Kix didn’t expect the stormtroopers to look so _similar._ If Kix wasn’t educated enough, he might as well recognize the man in front of him as a shinie straight off Kamino. 

But he was _not_ a shinie off of Kamino. The stormtroopers _weren’t his brothers._

A sudden blur of blue flashing across Kix’s face made him realize what was happening. 

The stormtrooper was shooting at them.

And the pirates were shooting back. 

Kix’s immediate reaction was to shout, _“Wait!”_ But he stopped himself. All he did was watch as more stormtroopers filed into the room. _Much_ more.

As the clone scrambled to hold his blaster, he tried to take in the scene playing out before him. He wanted to shout at them, _“Wait! Why are we fighting?! Why are we killing?”_

Kix quickly fell back in order to avoid the blaster fire, but suddenly found himself suddenly face-to-visor with another stormtrooper. 

The stormtrooper’s visor was so different from the Phase II Clone trooper armor. It was _so_ much different. 

Then why did it look so similar?

The stormtrooper’s gun was aimed at Kix’s head in an instant. Set on kill. Meant to kill.

But Kix, who had much more training and experience, was quicker. 

An instant panic rushed over Kix when he saw the barrel of the blaster aimed at his forehead. He knew what to do.

Kix knew that if he dwelled on the fact that the man in front of him looked too much like a clone trooper, he would die. That’s how he was trained. That’s how battles worked. And dieing wasn’t an option.

So Kix shot him. Through the chest. Hopefully it killed him immediately. Hopefully he didn’t have to suffer long. 

But that person wasn’t the only enemy in the room. 

Whipping around and focusing on the other stormtroopers, Kix regained his fire. 

Kix was shooting at stormtroopers. 

All Kix could see was clone troopers. 

And instead of the rusty and breaking-down room that surrounded him, Kix saw darkness.

He could hear the crunching of plant life beneath his feet.

He saw the yellow patterns painted on the troopers in the dark.

Kix knew where he was.

_Umbara._

-

He could hear his own breathing.

That was a good sign. 

The fact that his breathing was unsteady, and coming out in ragged gasps… not so much. 

The ground was littered with the dead (or possibly wounded) stormtroopers that the crew had taken down. 

Kix could hear Reveth scuff and stow away her rifle. “These guys _really_ aren’t the best of shots.” Her voice reached his ears.

Quiggold responded with something. Kix tried to focus on the first mate’s voice.

He was _not_ on Umbara. He was fighting enemies. People who tried to kill him. 

He was _not_ shooting at brothers. 

Kix had to forget about the nightmares. He would be reconditioned if he didn’t. Clones weren’t suppose to dwell on things for a long time, it was simple math: aim and shoot. That was it. That was what was expected of Kix. He couldn’t show how much this hurt him, or else the Kaminoans would-

“Hey, Kix? You alright?”

Kix was immediately thankful that he had his helmet on, or else he would- 

Wait.

He did _not_ have his helmet on.

“I’m fine.” Kix responded as quick as he could, while trying to keep a croak out of his voice. 

He did his best to look away from Quiggold. He did _not_ want the first mate to see his flushed-red face and pinchy eyes. He couldn’t have a display of emotion like this. 

Quiggold’s face shifted a little bit, and he kept his eyes on Kix as he spoke. “Alright then. So, Ithano, whaddya say we do with the transport crates?”

The Corsair flashed a few hand signs at Quiggold, and the Gabdorin grinned. “We’re takin’ it.” He announced to the team. 

Kix saw Reveth and Reeg grin, and Squeaky grunted in approval. He just kept silent and tried to keep his head down. 

Quiggold’s eyes finally left Kix’s structure. “Alright, crew. Let’s get this stuff and get out before more arrive.”

-

_He was shooting at Umbarans. Not clones, Umbarans._

_It feels so odd though. He watched as his bullets penetrated the armor that the vile Umbarans stole, it seemed like he was shooting brothers._

_But he was not. He was firing at the slimy Umbarans that had killed his brothers, and stole their armor. Kix would make sure they paid for that._

_He saw Rex running through the battle. Without his helmet._

_Kix was shocked beyond belief and almost shouted at him. He wanted to tell the crazy captain, “You idiot! What are you doing?! You’re smarter than this!”_

_But what Rex was saying stopped him. His captain was shouting, “Stop! Stop! Stop firing! They’re clones! Take off your helmets, show them you’re not the enemy!”_

_Paralyzed his his confusion, Kix only watched as Rex tackled a 212th trooper and yanked off the other man’s helmet._

_It was another brother._

_“See?! We’re clones, we’re all clones!”_

_All of them were clones._

_Including the motionless ones on the floor._

_After watching a few of the 212th members remove their helmets, Kix removed his._

_He was killing his brothers._

_Kix’s eye landed on a motionless brother on the ground. He had 212th armor on._

_Hand trembling and hesitating, Kix removed the brother’s helmet._

_He could recognize that tattoo anywhere._

_The symbol of the Republic._

_**Jesse.** _

_Kix desperately grabbed his brother’s chestplate. He silently begged for Jesse to be alive._

_“Kix, you’re the medic. You know what to do. This isn’t it.”_

_“You can help all of your brothers. All of the brothers you shot.”_

_“I’m gone, Kix. I’m in the past. I’m in your past. I don’t matter anymore.”_

_“More than fifty years ago, you almost killed me.”_

_“Do you remember that day, Kix? Do you remember the day you found out that Hardcase was dead, you almost shot me, and you killed many other brothers?”_

_“That day is in the past now. Fifty years ago, you had brothers. Now you have the pirates. You’ve left. Your brothers are in the past now. I’m in the past now. You need to forget me.”_

_Kix was couldn’t place the voices. The first few could have been any of his brothers, but the last couple were Jesse. The voices that were so true, but Kix refused to accept it._

_The voices were wrong. They had to be, there was no way Kix could forget any of them. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t, even if it killed him._

_He wanted Hardcase back. He wanted Fives back. He wanted Rex back. He wanted Jesse back. He needed Jesse back._

_And yet, now he was staring at the lifeless body of his closest brother._

_He shot Jesse._

_He shot **Jesse.**_

_So he screamed._

-

The blackness drained to reveal a dark and gloomy room.

He bolted upwards, sending the cozy blanket flying off of him. 

Kix desperately grabbed whatever was there, whatever warmth that was there to comfort him. 

It was another kriffing _dream._

“Kix! Kix, calm down, you’re OK now!” 

Kix got hold of someone’s shoulder. Someone who was in the room with him. 

A sudden, mangled sob suddenly escaped him. Kix then realized that he was crying. His face was insanely tear-streaked, and his eyes felt incredibly crusty. 

Kix hasn’t cried that often. It felt so odd, and almost disgusting how crusty his eyes felt. He hated the feeling of a weight in his throat.

“Hey, Kix, here, look! You’re OK now. You’re safe here.”

Kix blinked a few times to unblur his vision. It didn’t work very well, and his uncontrollable sobs didn’t stop. 

But then he felt a hand come up and wipe his eyes. Kix blinked rapidly as his eyesight adjusted to see the figure in front of him. 

Eventually, he recognized the red-skinned Twi’lek in front of him. Reveth.

Quickly realizing that he had grabbed her arm in an attempt to ground himself, Kix immediately removed his hand and tried to look around again. 

Reveth was sitting on his bed with her legs on the ground. She was fully clothed, and Kix was silently thankful that he decided to wear his shirt to sleep last night. 

Behind here were the other members of the crew. Kix saw Quiggold and the Corsair looking at him patiently.

They had all come to his room to comfort him. 

Why did they care? Why did they want to make sure Kix was OK, over just a nightmare? Why did they waste their time with him?

Oh, no. He couldn’t let them see him like this. It was unprofessional. Weeping and crying like a child in front of his superiors. It was a disgrace to himself and the team.

“You’re safe now, Kix.” Quiggold’s voice rung in the room. “Can you calm down?”

It took Kix a moment to process the words, but he eventually nodded. “Ye-Yeah. Y-Yes. I’m OK.”

Quiggold placed a hand on Kix’s knee. “That’s good.”

“Was it a nightmare?” Reveth’s voice caused Kix to quickly look up. He saw her tawny eyes staring at him, and they only consisted of worry and comfort. Kix looked away.

“Y- Yes. I have them all of the time. I’m OK, I’m sorry for waking you all.” Kix mumbled quickly. 

Quiggold shook his head. “No, Kix, don’t be sorry. Most of us were awake already.” The Gabdorin’s normally loud and grouchy voice was unusually smooth and comforting in the small room. 

“Y-Yeah. I mean, I-It’s alright, I’m alright, You… you don’t have to-”

“Yes, yes we do Kix.” Quiggold interrupted quickly. “We’re here and we’re staying. We only want to help.”

Kix had not realized that tears were still streaming down his face. He tried to get them to stop, but that only deepened the lump in his throat and caused him to let out a choked sob. 

He tried to talk through his tears, and all that ended in was a mess of whimpers and sobs. 

Kix quickly found out that he _hated_ crying in front of other people, and tried to hide his face. Why did he have to _embarrass_ himself like this? They didn’t need to see him cry. He was letting off too much emotion, and they might get mad at him for doing so.

Reveth spoke again. “Hey, Kix. You can take to us. Please, we’re here to help.” She whispered. The Twi’lek gently squeezed Kix’s shoulder and stared at his eyes, even though Kix didn’t look back. “Please, listen. We just want to help.”

Kix again tried to make out some words. He wanted them to _go away,_ and to leave him to grieve in peace. Why did they even care? Why? They just watched him cry, and they were random people. They had no effect in Kix’s life. They weren’t his brothers. _**Why**_ did they care?!

“Kix, listen.” Reveth pressed. “We know it was a nightmare. And y’know what? I have nightmares too.” She gave him a half-hearted, toothy grin. “I used to be a slave girl, working for a member of the Hutt family. And when the crew found me, I had nightmares all of the time. And they always helped me with my nightmares.” Reveth continued in a soothing voice. “After that, I knew I found my real family. And family help each other, Kix. Let us help you.”

A slave. Ouch. Kix knew little about slavery, but he knew it was absolutely _wrong._ He did remember Rex telling him a little bit about it after his private mission to Zygerria, but that was just about it. 

Kix had gotten himself to stop sobbing uncontrollably. Every now and then he’d let out a sniffle as his tears continued. 

“I-I’m sorry…” Kix sniveled. He didn’t know if he was apologizing for Reveth’s past or for crying in front of them. 

“It’s OK, Kix. It really is.” Quiggold uttered calmly. “Do you want to tell us what the nightmare was about?”

Oh, Force no, Kix did _not._ Maybe it would help, and Kix knew that the crew wouldn’t do anything harmful with the information, but… it hurt him to even think about it. He could _not_ think about it. The mere thought made the lump in his throat even heavier.

When Kix trembled and didn’t respond, Reveth pushed a little bit more. “Kix?” She asked, his voice barely audible. “Are you alright?” 

Before he could stop it, another weep escaped Kix’s mouth. He didn’t want to remember. It hurt too much. He tried to take a deep breath and speak, even though he was shaking.

“It was just a nightmare… I-I r-really don’t want to talk about it…” He whispered. He wished that they would go away.

“It wasn’t just a nightmare.” Quiggold grunted softly. 

“I-I don’t want… to talk about it…” Kix managed. “I don’t want to remember it.”

Quiggold nodded slowly. “That’s alright…” A minute of silence passed, and Reveth continued for him. “Would you like us to leave?”

Kix hesitated before speaking. “Y-Yeah… th-th…”

He stopped himself before saying “thank you.” He didn’t know if that was the right thing to say in this situation. He just stayed silent as the crew left.

But, Quiggold responded before leaving. “You’re welcome, Kix.” 

Kix only wiped his tears with his blanket as they left. Somehow, all of his muscles were sore and ached unforgivingly. He took an unsteady deep breath and moved his eyes to look back at the door.

Standing there, barely visible in the shadows, was the Corsair.

He had stayed silent for the entire conversation. Well, he’s silent for all conversations. The man just watched the entire time. 

Kix’s eyes swept over the eerily dark burgundy mask that the Corsair wore, and wondered why he didn’t leave. Kix wished that he would leave. 

Instead, the Corsair slowly approached the bed Kix sat on. Once he was standing almost right next to Kix, he seemed to sense the clone’s unease and crouched down so he was almost eye-level with the unnerved trooper. 

Nervousness swam through Kix’s body. What was the Corsair doing? What did he want, and why didn’t he leave?

Kix glanced at the black slits of the mask once before avoiding it’s sinister gaze. He didn’t want to look up to see the emotionless mask, he wanted to look at a face he knew. 

But Kix was well aware that wishes weren’t going to change anything. 

A soft, velvety touch was on Kix’s shoulders. When the clone looked up, he saw that it was the Corsair’s hand. 

The Corsair gently motioned at the bed. Kix _assumed_ that he wanted him to lay down. _He_ wanted the Corsair to leave him alone. 

And yet… the captain was being so gentle. So nice, and suggestive. He only wanted to help, just like Quiggold and Reveth. 

But Kix had turned down their help.

Even so, the clone slowly shifted so that he was laying on his back, and trying to avoid looking at the Corsair. Every now and then he’d sniffle, trying to clear his nose of the snot that had clogged it when he cried. 

He was complied to look again when he felt a nudge on his shoulder. When he glanced upward, he could hardly see the Crimson Corsair’s mask in the deep lighting. 

Another nudge prodded Kix’s shoulder, and the clone figured that the Corsair wanted him to roll over.

Why? What did the Corsair want? Couldn’t he leave Kix to fall asleep in peace?

 _Come on, Kix. Don’t be so negative._ He quickly scolded himself. He had just so happened to be picked up by some of the nicest men out there. The Corsair was just trying to comfort him.

So, he anxiously rolled over so he was lying on his stomach. He didn’t sleep like this often, so Kix took a moment to scoot around and get comfortable. But, he had to admit, it was quite cozy to sleep like this. He would try and drift to sleep, if the faceless mask wasn’t staring at him.

An awkward moment arose before Kix felt the Corsair’s hand on his back again. Did the Corsair want him to do something else, too?

Before Kix could lift his head, the Corsair’s hand began to move. Kix instinctively tensed up, but the first few touches were sweet and gentle. He felt the five fingers of the Corsair’s hand gently stroking his back. 

It felt… really nice, Kix realized. It reminded him of a time when, after an extremely long day of work, Jesse had told him to lay down and proceeded to caress his back. It had felt so nice and good then, and this time was almost as good.

A wad of awkwardness stuck out in Kix’s mind, but he couldn’t find the will to care. He just wanted to think of his brothers, and get lost in the good feeling of the Corsair massaging his back. 

He had to admit… this was better than possibly crying himself to sleep and feeling even worse in the morning. He could feel the tension easing out of his back as warmth flowed through his system. 

Pretty soon, Kix found himself slowly lost in the nice touches and became a victim of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EYYYYY I actually managed to write a chapter in a month!! I totally did not believe that I could at all but I DID IT! YAY!
> 
> Well there's going to be one more "short story" for Chapter 5 and then there's going to be an actual plot. :D
> 
> One more small note... I'm going to try to write the next chapter in 3 weeks instead of 1 month... I don't know how this will work, so if it's late expect it to be in a month again :) This is because I plan this story to be 15+ chapters, and I don't want to take more than a year and a half to write it!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pirate stuff. I guess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness gracious. I have been gone for so long.
> 
> I am saying that I am so sorry, but I know that is not enough and that never will be. Even if it isn't, I'm still going to do my best to make it better. I guess my excuse could be that a lot has been going on in my social life, recently. Even so, about 25% of the time I could have been writing and editing, but I didn't. I instead did other things, and I am sorry for that. I could say sorry a billion times and consider this paragraph me doing so, but I understand that this isn't such a big thing to be sorry for. I know that some people will be unbelievably understanding, and you are so amazing for that. You are so amazing for being patient with me... I can't say that I try my best, but I'm getting there. 
> 
> That being said, enjoy this chapter! I have spilled out more emotions that you probably don't care about in the notes at the end :)

The Corsair’s group had a lot of different encounters with different pirates. Recently, they had a commotion with this one group, who were salty about when the Corsair didn’t _exactly_ give them what they wanted. That was an interesting experience. And of course, the interesting trip when they found Kix in a crashed spaceship and Corsair got to kill a man from his past. Another interesting experience.

Now, the crew is going to have another interesting experience with a fellow pirate.

“Where are we going?”

Quiggold turned around to see his teammate, Kix, standing in the doorway to the cockpit. Since the crew was discussing a new route of travel, it was obvious that the clone was curious. 

“Hey, Kix. We have to take a pause on the our search for the deposits.” Quiggold responded gruffly. “We’ve received a transmission from another pirate we knew a while ago.”

The clone shifted his weight. “What did he say?” He inquired carefully. 

“Ah, a bunch of rubble’s worth.” Quiggold scowled. “He claims that we didn’t give him all of the wood he asked for when we engaged in a trade.”

“Yeah, he is right, but _he_ didn’t pay us the amount he promised he would.” Reveth interrupted with a frown. 

Kix nodded slowly, and Quiggold wondered if he actually understood the situation. 

“Who is _he _?” Kix asked.__

__“Oh, he’s a Togrutan named Jodous. He goes by Jodo, though.” Reveth answered for Quiggold._ _

__All the crew really knew about Jodo was that he led a crew of about ten, and wanted to be famous. He wasn’t necessarily mean or cruel, and actually was quite giddy at some times, but a pain in the neck at others._ _

__Kix nodded slowly a second time, and asked one more question. “When will we arrive?”_ _

__“In less than twenty-four hours. Hard to say exactly.” Quiggold shrugged._ _

__Upon hearing his response, Kix walked over to the couch to plop down next to Squeaky. The Gamorrean was snoring loudly beside him._ _

__Quiggold let his eyes linger on Kix a bit more, wanting to say something else, but gave up on it. He just wanted to understand him, but nothing was working._ _

__Yet Quiggold did not want to put all of his attention on the clone either. He had other duties, and did not need to focus on Kix. He needed to focus on himself and the rest of the crew._ _

__In doing so, Quiggold had to deal with Jodo, which he was _not_ looking forward to._ _

__-_ _

__Jodo wanted to meet on a planet which went by the name of Dutrirzu. Upon doing a smidge bit of research, Quiggold found out that the planet’s name meant “Quietly Gather” in a different language._ _

__Their arrival went smoothly, and thankfully, there was no landing fee. Squeaky made sure that they were in the right place, and the crew set off to find their host._ _

__On the planet, Quiggold did see some species he knew - such as twi-leks, togrutans, and humans - but there was an unusual abundance of sentients who he has hardly encountered._ _

__None of them paid any attention to the crew. The walk to Jodo’s coordinates was a short and undisturbed one._ _

__The place was fairly nice. It had some plant life, but not much. There was short green grass and long brown grass, with very little tall plants life. The area was mostly flat, which was perfect for the little huts, houses, and trading stations that were scattered around every here and there in the small village they had arrived in._ _

__Upon arriving at the coordinates provided, the first thing that Quiggold saw was the blasted man himself._ _

__The togrutan had a quirky grin plastered onto his face. His round, metallic-orange greeted Quiggold’s._ _

__The place he invited them to was not too shabby, basically just a set-up umbrella with a few chairs and a table dragged underneath it._ _

__Jodo was the only one there, sitting on a chair with his feet on the table. He stood when the crew approached him, coming out of the shade so his bright yellow skin was in the sunlight. His jaw was triangular, and his cheeks were dusty. He had more white markings on his face than a normal togrutan. Jodo smelled like rusting armor, if you could define a smell for that._ _

__When the togrutan stood, Quiggold was reminded of how unnaturally tall Jodo was. Certainly tall for a togrutan, and with his extra-large montrals that curled up his neck and far above his forehead, made him appear even taller. He towered over the Corsair, not to mention Quiggold._ _

__The Corsair marched towards the other pirate confidently, while Jodo spoke with a proud, upbeat voice. “Good evening, Corsair. I’m glad you could make it. Please take a seat.”_ _

__It was obvious that Jodo was just trying to impress them. Since they were well known throughout the pirate world, not many wanted to show fear or timidness in front of the Corsair._ _

__The crew had interesting memories associated with Jodo. When they met officially, it was when they were both trying to avoid the jaws of a sarlacc pit. After then, it was a long while until they spoke again. Jodo casually called them up a few times for this or that._ _

__Jodo is a character that people have to judge for themselves. On the topic of one transmission he gave them, asking for help, Reveth was positive that he was nervous. Scared of something, maybe the Corsair. Quiggold cut him some slack. Squeaky agreed with Reveth, and added the fact that the planet he wanted help defending was one important to his religion. The Corsair figured the same._ _

__All of the crew members had feelings about Jodo. To Reveth, he’s snooty and predictable. To Squeaky, he’s casual and skittish. To the Corsair, he’s someone to make a deal with. To Quiggold, Jodo is agreeable, but sometimes he’s quite shifty. He’s someone to keep an eye on._ _

__Jodo’s character is one that you’ll have to judge for yourself. Quiggold wonders what Kix will think of him, after this._ _

__The other pirate blinked expectantly. Quiggold began speaking, and the Corsair didn’t stop him. “Look, we aren’t staying here for long, so make it quick.”_ _

__“Of course.” Jodo responded quickly. He eyed the crew one more time before commenting. “Where’s the Arcona? I thought he was still with you folks.” And before anyone could answer, Jodo continued. “Ah, and here’s a new member. I’m not very surprised, seeing how small your crew has become.”_ _

__Other than that, Jodo payed no more attention to the clone._ _

__Reveth loudly groaned, tilting her head back to let her lekku sway. “Can we _please_ hurry up?” _ _

__The Corsair nodded and motioned at the chairs, indicating that they should sit down. Jodo sat, and the Corsair followed suit._ _

__Both parties were suspicious of the other. It was natural for pirates, they could never _really_ trust one another, the only exception being if they had a very special relationship. _ _

__Jodo was not an exception. He and his team had interacted together in too many different situations that there was no real trust in between them. There probably never would be, either._ _

__One team might attack the other. That was the normal thing, the normal _feeling_ , that pirates (or any intergalactic gang) went through when meeting up. _ _

__“Well,” Jodo began. “You know why I invited you, why don’t we start business? I’m here asking for the wood we traded earlier, but you didn’t give me all that I asked for. Sound familiar?” The smile on his face was still there, but anyone who’s done business before could hear the slight pressure that his voice held._ _

__The Corsair quickly signed to Quiggold, who spoke for him. “Look bud, you didn’t pay us the amount we asked for, so you didn’t get your wood.”_ _

__Jodo glared at them. “Well, it looks like I’m here to reconsider. Why don’t we make another arrangement for the wood?”_ _

__“You-” Quiggold started, but a hand from the Corsair silenced him._ _

__The Corsair signed to Quiggold, thinking over his decision a bit, but telling his right-hand man quickly._ _

__Quiggold glared at Jodo for one second before speaking. “We’ll check in our ship to see if we still have the rest of the wood. But-”_ _

__“Fantastic…! I’m glad we could make a deal, in short time.” Jodo’s eyes lit up as he interrupted briskly._ _

__“Only,” Reveth suddenly snarled, translating the rest of the Corsair’s speech to the togrutan pirate. “If you check in your ship to see if you have the the rest of the credits you were suppose to pay us.”_ _

__Jodo looked appalled and opened his mouth to speak, but a nod from Corsair stopped him. No one really wanted to deny his emotionless mask._ _

__“Hm. Fine. I’ll comm one of my men to go get the credits from my ship.” The crew watched him as he did exactly as he said._ _

__The Corsair indicated with his hands that Reveth and Squeaky were to get the wood. Both of them were more than capable of defending themselves when they were alone, and were certainly a team together. Even so, they would not be leaving the others unguarded. Quiggold, the Corsair, and Kix would be fine alone as well._ _

__Quiggold was surprised on how swift the interaction was. If all went well, they would be out in no time._ _

__As the two left, the four were left alone. Kix was mesmerized by something on the ground, noticing the smoothness of the situation as well, and Quiggold could never tell exactly what the Corsair was looking at._ _

__Quiggold found himself awkwardly staring at Jodo’s montrals for a bit before realizing that he was doing so. The togrutan didn’t seem to notice, and instead was staring off to the side of their arrangement._ _

__Following his gaze, Quiggold found himself watching a group of little kids play._ _

__Two little twi-lek girls gleefully tossed something as small as a marble back and forth. Another small pair of hands tried to snatch the object when it was in mid air; a young twi-lek boy._ _

__The appeared to have been playing for some time now. They looked like they were enjoying themselves…_ _

__… Until an awkward bounce off the side of the boy’s hand sent it rolling right under the table Jodo had set up. The two girls made it obvious that they were not going to retrieve it by casting some glances towards them, trying not to stare, and taking each other’s hands._ _

__Unlike his comrades, the little boy trotted up to the group of four pirates, respectfully looked them in the eyes and spoke with the utmost civility. “Can I please have our ball back, please?”_ _

__Quiggold had the full intention of returning the small orb back to the children, but Jodo was practically already under the table. Quiggold heard a bump and a curse before Jodo’s long face and giant montrals appeared, along with the ball between his forefinger and thumb._ _

__“I don’t know, can you?” Jodo spoke with an unusual smile on his face._ _

__“May I please have our ball back, please?” The child repeated in the same tone he had asked earlier._ _

__“Of course you may.” Jodo stood up, unintentionally revealing his monstrous size to the kid before he crouched to the young twi-lek’s level._ _

__“Here, you can have your toy back. I think you’ll grow up to be a fine looking young man.” Jodo placed the orb in the child’s waiting palm. “Do you like the game you are playing?”_ _

__Based on what Jodo was saying, Quiggold couldn’t tell if he was trying to kidnap the child or honestly compliment him._ _

__“Yes, I do.” The small child nodded. “My friends are better at it.”_ _

__“That’s all right. You don’t have to be as good as them. You can just be your adorable self.”_ _

__Was the kid adorable? Quiggold figures so. He’s never really noticed anything as cute, but Reveth would absolutely gush over small animals and children alike, and proceed to force the rest of the crew to accept that they were cute as well. There was no arguing with her when she found something adorable. Occasionally Quiggold figures that it’s a girl thing, to find small things cute more than men, but hey, there are always exceptions._ _

__The boy smiled his little child-smile, “Thank you so much, sir,” and ran back to join the two other girls. With his eyes lingering, Quiggold saw the child reunite with his friends (or maybe siblings?), who looked at him in shock, apparently for having the courage to approach a stranger._ _

__Jodo, whose eyes had lingered as well, turned back to the Corsair and his crew. The togrutan’s eyes widened for half a second before narrowing, scoffing._ _

__“What was that all about?” Came the monotone voice of Reveth, who had returned with Squeaky._ _

__Jodo glared some more and took his seat. “I like children.” He huffed in defense._ _

__Quiggold suddenly noticed the tips of Jodo’s montrals began looking a bit more veiny, with blue strikes beginning to run down them._ _

__When the crew just kept staring at him, Jodo protested loudly. “Well, like you haven’t interacted with children before?”_ _

__He sniffled a laugh when he figured out that Jodo was blushing._ _

__Quiggold chortled, which encouraged Jodo to defend himself. “Children are… precious.” He explained with a dignified calm to his voice. “They’re the future. They should be protected at all costs.” Jodo glared to declare that he was finished, and they should stop staring at him._ _

__Quiggold saw Kix shrug in the corner of his eye. “You’re not wrong.” The clone murmured._ _

__Sensing the crew’s weird looks, he continued. “Children have been a big inspiration to me.” He eyed their reactions carefully. “Do you have the wood, or not?”_ _

__Reveth stepped into Quiggold’s view. “Yes, we do. You must have the credits.”_ _

__“I do.” Jodo confirmed. The blue veins that appeared in his montrals began to cease. “I can transfer the credits to you while you load the wood onto my ship.”_ _

__The Corsair nodded. Jodo looked relieved._ _

__“Why don’t you go fly the ship closer?” Quiggold suggested to Reveth, who grumbled about how she had to be the one to walk to and from the ship._ _

__Jodo opened his mouth as if to say something, but awkwardly closed it instead._ _

__A numb ringing sound went off in Quiggold’s ears. With his well-trained but poor ears, Quiggold recognized it as a blaster shot, but… slightly different._ _

__In the few seconds it took for Quiggold to push his chair out and stand, he saw Jodo’s reaction slowly._ _

__The togrutan’s jaw opened as his throat seemed to fold in on itself. The tall man jerked sideways when he was hit, and his forehead smacked onto the table._ _

__“Assassin!” Someone cried. Quiggold spun around in time to see the Corsair making millisecond-quick motions with his hands._ _

__“Where did the shot come from?!” Quiggold demanded quickly, snatching up his blaster and preparing for anything._ _

__“Out!” Squeaky’s gravely voice rang. The gamorrean was translating what the Corsair was saying; it was best to get out and into the crowd to reduce the chances of being shot themselves._ _

__Quiggold stepped back and outside of the overhang that was set up._ _

__He noticed that Kix was at Jodo’s side, grabbing the togrutan’s shoulders to pull his limp form onto the ground._ _

__Before Quiggold could shout at Kix to quit it and run, the Corsair advanced to grab Kix’s forearm and yank it way in a sense of desperate urgency. If Jodo was assassinated, they could all be shot as well._ _

__Turning around and following Squeaky into the crowd, Quiggold heard Kix yelp, sounding more frustrated than surprised._ _

__“What now?” Quiggold shouted over the commotion. People had heard the shot and noticed Jodo’s fall, so naturally, chaos ensued._ _

__The Corsair, who let go of Kix, signed some quick words. _Find the ship. Leave.__ _

__Reveth had been sent to bring the ship closer. She should be here any second, Quiggold recons._ _

__Kix told the crew that he saw the ship with a hoarse voice. Reveth was landing nearby, not necessarily where a ship would normally land, although what else was she going to do? Land on a landing pad?_ _

__The ship’s docking doorway opened, naturally. Quiggold clambered up it with his friends in tow. Reveth raced down from the pilot’s seat._ _

__She demanded to know what happened as she prepared to lift off at the Corsair’s order._ _

__“Jodo was assassinated. We’ll give you the details after we’re out of this system!”_ _

__Her lekku swayed when she nodded and took off._ _

__There was some discussion about what happened, and if they were a possible target as well, along with if they were being tracked._ _

__To be honest, everything was mostly a blur after Jodo was shot._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Here's a little word to honor my inspirations:
> 
> I've taken some time to read the story "To Kill a Mockingbird", which has been an inspiration to improve my writing. In my opinion, it's a well-written book.
> 
> Along with that story, I have been inspired by many people in this website as well. That meaning YOU. If you have left kudos or commented on this story (or another) at all, then consider you my inspiration. People who have commented on my story: you know who you are. YOU know who you are, and this is a message to YOU: THANK YOU SO UNBELIEVABLY MUCH! You are fantastic just for taking a few minutes of your time to leave a comment, or leave kudos! I'm looking at that list of people who have left kudos... I'm looking at you... and I'm looking at the people who have left comments. Thank you for that. Thank you so much.
> 
> Final note: The next chapter will come out in the next week. I'm dedicating my time to this story to make up for the half a year I abandoned it for. (Watch as I don't post until December..) But I will try my best! I'm also looking to improve on the previous chapters, which I will do tomorrow, since I gotta go to sleep right now.
> 
> Have a beautiful day, you beautiful creature.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope it's been good so far. Again, constructive criticism is LOVED and basically any kind of feedback.
> 
> And Happy (extremely late...) Clone Appreciation Day, which was actually 6/6/16.


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